Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-05-04
HENRY'S LAKE.
A Wonderful Sheet Of Water In
Idaho.
A Lovely Island Which Floats with Every
Current Of Air-The Charming Source
OF the North Fork OF the Snake
Rlver-The Moose Springs.
[raaho Cor. San Francisco Call

T1aho Cor. San Francisco CALL
One Of the wonders of our great country
Is Henry's lake, on the summit Of the
Rocky mountains, near the line between
Idaho and Montana, on the Targee's Pass
trail. The lake is five miles wide and ten
miles long 1t is the source of the north
fork Of Snake river. Like q basin over
flowing the clear water ripples over bar
that forms the brim-a bar of crumbled
crystalline QuartZ-in a gurgling stream
that flows peacefully through waving
grass for half a mile and then plunges into
canyon where 1t is lashed into foam and
leaps over precipices on its way down
from that continental divide as it grows tc
be great river. After journey of one
hundred miles over rocky heights and
through mountain deflcs, we reached the
lake. Men and horses were tired and
hungry. The mild beauty of the smooth
water, level meadows and shaded parks,
all smiling with the evening sunlight, was
happy relief The blue grass was varie-
gated with wild flowers, birds were sing
ing in the trees, swans were swimming in
the lake. Before us was the winter range
OF the antelope. the deer and elk. A party
OF trappers who spent one winter there,
say the elk came down like herds of cattle
and destoyed their hay. They were com
peeled to drive great droves of elk away to
save any grass or other feed for their pack
horses.
One Of the wonders of Henry's lake is
the floating island. When we camped at
night lovely island was within a stones
throw of US. We decided to explore it in
the morning. The soft green carpet, the
dropping willows and stiff little pines, so
near the shining surface of the cool blue
60
rest in their shade. When morning came
the island was gone. Five miles away
we could see the little trees waving in the
wind that had waited them to the opposite
side Of the lake. The wind changed, how
ever, and the mysterious island came on
its daily orbit and rested, while all nature
was hushed that lovely afternoon, near
where we had first seen it. We padded
raft Of logs to its border. 1t was circular
in shape and three hundred feet in diane
ter. The outer edge was a tough sward,
and so thin that it gave down under the
weight OF man and let him into the water
boot-top deep. A few feet from the edge
it would support the weight of a horse.
The floating mass we found to be mat of
grass roots overspread with thin layer of
decayed vegetable matter. The small trees
had taken root in that blanket of mold
They rocked and swayed from side to side
as we walked around them. As we ap-
preached the island large
number Of swans were seen tc
swim away. There seemed to
be two knds-white and gray. Their gut
tural calls could be heard five miles. In
the wake OF some that evidently were
filling the office of mother, as they fioated
majestically away, were following the
cygnets, fluffy and round like punches Of
tow. In the grass near US was a swan
f1uttering and crying as she stretched out
her long neck and spread out her broad
white wings. She splashed into the water
when we were twenty-five feet distant and
disappeared. When we next saw her she
was far out on the lake swimming with
three or four very small young ones close
behind. She had managed to get them out
Of tho nest and into the water, and they
had followed her. They were not one day
old. In the nest from which they h ad
been hurried were five eggs not yet hatch
ed. Two white, soft, fat bills had Just
broken through the hard shell. The
fat man of the party contracted to COM
p!ete the Matching process in the bosom of
his shirt, and we carried the two eggs to
camp. Our incubator was a success, and
on the following m orning he drew forth
from the recesses of his baggy flannel
shirt two long heads and long necks, with
small, down-covered bodies attached
Another curiosity near the lake is what
is called Moose springs. From the mouth
Of cave in the side of a bluff bursts forth
a river of considerable size The spark
ling water, after soothing and roaring
under the weight of great pressure or
other hidden forces, spreads out over
rocky bed of glistening quartz forty feet
wide, and leaps from ledge to ledge down
the precipitous heights. Thousands Of
mountain trout arc continually trying
TO stem that tumbling current. They
can be seen fiouncing in the air from
morning till night in their eff ort to gain
the underground river, after following
the tumultuous Snake to the summit of
the great watershed Of the continent In
dians catch and pack away from that
place tons of trout every year. When we
visited the fishing ground a hungry, no
madic tribe of dusky natives, after weary
days of travel, were arranging camp and
looking happy over the prospect Of
sumptuous meal They were to feast on
fish that were yet uncaught.
After lighting the log fires the fisher.
men repaired to the foot of the steep in.
cline by the rushing outlet of the subter-
ranean river. Each man cut a slender rod
and shaped the end Of it to fit loosely the
hollow end of buckiorn spear tip.
A strong cord attached the tin
to the rod or haft OF the spear.
A muscular brave would step forward, q
brawny bare arm would raise the simple
implement above his head, where il would
balance for a second, and then like an ar
row it would be hurled into the water with
a sure aim; trout would fash his
speckled sides in the sun, the blool would
how in a red cloud down the stream. and
fine fish would be landed on the green
sward- The buckhorn tip would pass
through the body and slip from the haft as
il was pulled back. The cord fastening
the tip to the rod would hold the fish. Lei
him founder as he would. After catching
about ten pounds for each member OF the
company they proceeded to cook the even
ing meal In manner as simple as it was
strange. Large quantities of soft clay were
dug from the Dank and kneaded to the con-
sistency OF dough, and each fish was sepa
rately encased in coating about an inch
thick and thrown into the fire to bake.
Ihey were cooked without dressing. Some
OF them were gaping for breath as they
were besmeared with clay. The case soon
hardened in the fire like brick in a kiln.
The oil sized and sputtered through the
seams. Experts watched closely. and
when the perfect crematic state was
reached the fish were withdrawn from
the bed Of fire. The shells were broken
with small stones, and the delicious NOR
sells were turned out steaminR. white and
savory enough to tempt an epicure
How the Celestial Got Has Grip.
Alta California